


Overrated

by TheMulletWhisperer



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Battle, Death, Death is Overrated, F/M, Happy Ending, Temporary Character Death, badassery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-26
Updated: 2016-08-26
Packaged: 2018-08-11 03:20:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7874176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMulletWhisperer/pseuds/TheMulletWhisperer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Many give in to death and succumb, they believe that is their fate in the end. But Galina knows differently.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Overrated

**Author's Note:**

> The story Going Home by Imdex inspired this piece, I wrote it basically as a counter to that because I'm tough and all those other things that don't cry.

WIth a loud cry, Galina stumbled backwards, a fresh gash appearing clean across her features. Four hours, the battle had been going on without a sign of its end. Before her, the Thalmor raised his sword in preparation to strike, only to have his side pierced straight through by Richton’s spear. “You good?” The spirit took a moment to look over her battered form, which had taken more punishment than one person had a right to take. Despite the pain, despite aching all over, she nodded in the affirmative and readied herself for the next attack.

This was only one of a massive series of attacks against Windhelm, and, despite her disdain for the Stormcloaks, she felt a closer sense of duty to them than to the Thalmor. Far, far closer. 

Arkved had disappeared into the fray somewhere, but there was no doubt in her mind that he was still alive. She could feel it. She knew it.

Brandishing her blades towards the oncoming attackers, she launched into action next to Richton, plunging her blade straight into the gut of the vanguard attacker, launching into a spin and half-decapitating one of his mates. For someone almost sixty years of age, she was well capable of fighting effectively.

As she turned to face the last of the batch, she noted Richton had finished them off, and seemed no worse for the wear. Which was, of course, rather unsurprising, judging by his...well, state.

What was, however, surprising, was the flaming oil pot that came rocketing over the bastion and right towards the pair. The last thing she remembered was an intense heat just before she blacked out.

 

**=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=**

 

Galina wasn’t sure where she was when she woke up. Somewhere cold, dark, and yet oddly welcoming and refreshing. From what she could tell, she was in her childhood bedroom, one of the most cherished places of her life, and it looked just as she’d remembered, albeit with accommodations more suited to her. It was...strange, surreal. 

Casting a glance outside the window, she could only see the expanse of a dark field, dark enough that she would probably place the time of day around midnight. Would have, if the door on the opposite side of the room hadn’t swung open to give way to a tall man, dressed in shining, silver armor with a navy surcoat. His beard was large and his features handsome, though undeniably Breton. Before she could speak, he spoke first in a voice she would recognize anywhere. “Welcome home, Galina.”

It took her a moment to process what was happening before she sneered indignantly. “Richton, you’re...fuck no.” She shook her head and marched up to him, grabbing his surcoat. “I’m not home, this shit isn’t my home, not anymore. I’m not going back.”

“I’m afraid you don’t have any choice, Galina. You’ve passed on. The catapult took you out, burned you. But the strike on the head, the shrapnel, the blood loss...that’s what got you.”

“Bullshit” Galina turned to the bed behind her, where she’d entered the...what she would call, the afterlife.

“You’re dead, Galina.” 

The words brought about a very long silence, Galina merely staring at the wall in front of her, blinking several times. It was only broken by a small laugh from her throat. Although Richton gave her a curious look, she paid it no mind and shot and glance over her shoulder with a grin stretched across her face. “Death is overrated.”

 

**=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=**

 

With a heavy gasp, Galina awoke, face-first in the snow and coughing up water. Richton was right, she was hurting all over, and she couldn’t move her right hand. Scratch that, she didn’t  _ have _ a right hand. While she was certain she saw it lying across the way from her broken blade, but she didn’t care. She’d been given a second chance, and she was going to use it to the best of her abilities.

Pushing up to her feet with her remaining hand, she grabbed the halved straightsword from the snow drift below her, holding it down by her side and making straight for the gates, where the armies of Altmer were amassed and commencing their ruthless attack. She had a plan.

Opening the gates with her shoulder, she was faced with the forward attack team, who almost immediately charged the woman. But she didn’t care, they weren’t her target. In their frenzy to kill her, she easily ducked their attacks and left them hacking and slashing at the air and each-other. She continued down the deserted bridge towards the commander’s camp.

The camp itself was sparsely populated, the majority of its defenders dedicated to the attack, meaning she rather easily cut down the one measly guard standing watch on the perimeter. Already, she could spot the commander’s tent. Altmer flair once again was their downfall.

Only one guard stood on the tent, who she felled with ease before ducking inside. Judging by the look on the Altmer’s face, she was quite the gruesome sight, missing a limb, covered in blood and snow. 

“I suppose this is where you make some kind of speech about how you’ll end the plight of my life? Go on, human, I’ll indulge you.”

Galina simply smirked and approached the mer, who gave a telling step back. “You know...I once knew somebody who said that death was overrated. But I think you’ll fit it perfectly.” With that, she kicked his knee out from under him and sent him face-first onto the planning table. Without a second’s hesitation, she drove the half-blade through his neck and pinned him to the boards, listening with pleasure to the gurgles he made as his life faded. As soon as he was dead, her vision blurred and her ears began to ring, the full extent of her injuries hitting her. Once again, she fell to the ground and blacked out.

 

**=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=**

 

Only a day later she awoke from her rest, repaired and bandaged properly. And, of course, right by her side was Arkved, looking like he’d eaten sparsely over the past day. Turning her head to look at him, she grinned, and he grinned back, reaching out and taking her hand. “I thought...I thought you were dead, Galina.” In contrast, his grin only grew, though tears prickled at the corners of his eyes, as did they in Galina’s before she spoke in response.

“Death is overrated.”


End file.
